News

Helfa Gelf

September is a busy month! Artists across North Wales open their studios to the public for the annual Helfa Gelf Art Trail. www.helfagelf.co.uk. It's always interesting to see who comes through the door and I'm appreciative of the effort some people have to make to find my studio! Most come by car in ones, twos, threes and fours. Some come on two wheels, and arrive deliberately or by chance, and occasionally some come on foot. I had five walkers make a detour to my studio the first weekend! Some faces are familiar - always nice to see them again – and others are new. It's interesting to find out what their backgrounds are and their reasons for visiting studios. Some are artists themselves, others are doctors, builders, vets, engineers, landscape gardeners, teachers… these are just some of the different people who made it through the door this Helfa Gelf. Some visitors plan their routes and take in a number of studios each weekend, a few come from some distance – one couple came from Southampton this year – many, of course, are fairly local. It was a successful year from the point of view of sales and workshops bookings, despite being quieter than usual.

I like to have something on the go to demonstrate inking and printing to visitors and this year made quick monoprints from feathers, bamboo, geranium seed-heads and cow parsley. On the last Sunday I sold three of the cow parsley prints I had made that day.